Starting today in the United States, you’ll be able to download PlayStation Now games locally to your console, rather than streaming them. It means that you’ll be able to play these titles without an online connection at all, but you will need to verify your membership “every few days”. This is so that Sony can assure your subscription is still active.

It’s unclear how often you’ll need to check in online, but we’re guessing it’ll be at least once a week. Has this turned you off the service at all, or are you totally okay with connecting every now and then? Let us know in the comments section below.

@Deadlyblack To be fair, they do it for the PS+ games. When you download them, they check the expiry date of your sub and attach that date to the PS+ games. When your sub ends, so does your ability to play them, regardless whether you're online or not. Don't see why they can't do something similar with PS Now.

Can imagine it's for hacking reasons and to keep control of things, since PS Now is primarily a streaming service most people who use the service knew they needed a constant internet connection to play games

A total non-issue unless you are some kind of paranoid person who only connects to the internet when absolutely necessary. Otherwise, 99.9% of everyone else connects at least every time the PS4 is turned on.

@NintendoFan4LyfDoesn't matter. Still a step in the wrong direction. MS rightly got crap for its initial Xbox One policies, Nintendo is rightly getting some crap for check-ins on the Switch, Sony should get crap too, especially after the whole 'this is how you trade games' stuff and all that at E3 2013. People can say streaming is the future, this that and the third but I really don't think digital only, streaming and everything these giant companies are pushing for is the best way to go. Majority of gamers won't fight it though, so I guess it's inevitable.

@adf86Where are you getting that from? Aside from this website and Nintendo Life (which will obviously be filled with fanboys just like this one is), I mostly use twitter and youtube to get gaming news and Nintendo has been getting crushed, even by some people who would be labeled Nintendo fanboys, over how it's handling Switch online. There certainly hasn't been a Nintendo can do no wrong sentiment.

@Gamer83 I really don’t see how Sony’s approach is a step in the wrong direction with PS Now. It is marketed as a monthly service for full access to a bunch of games. It is a service that initially required complete online connectivity with potentially poor lag and reduced image quality and is allowing native access to the game and requires periodic account verification. It is still an optional service. What is wrong with that? The console is basically connected to the internet all the time anyways! It’s making a mountain out of a molehill. People in “disconnected” areas wouldn’t have subscribed to this in the first place.

If I had more time to play games on stationary consoles (lack of consistent dedicated TV time), I would subscribe to this instead if paying $60/game because I am sure I could get through multiple games per month for a super-low price.

As for Nintendo, not having the NES titles up for purchase is a huge misstep; however the access is part of the service - it is understandable that account verification is required. I do hope Nintendo changes it’s tune and does start offering the games for purchase - because the emulation is perfect (no input lag that I noticed, and they are color and pixel perfect).

Sure, one could argue that a token or something should download that expires on the day the account should expire, but what would prevent people from just completely disconnecting and changing the system clock?! Some kind of web-based access needs to be applied to keep people honest.

For these services, you don’t own the game - and nor is it being advertised as such.

Keeping it at as option isn’t a step in the wrong direction - it’s a great way to play games at a low price (under the caveat you have to “verify” the right to play). If it were being advertised that you purchase the game and still requires authentication, that is something I could complain about. This isn’t that. Neither is Game Pass and neither is NES - Nintendo Switch Online (though, I would say the NES is the “worst” of the bunch, since there is no other choice for getting the amazingly emulated games).